Thriller of a start for Siller, Purdue

November 02, 2008|AL LESAR Tribune Staff Writer

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Is there such a thing as an upset in a football game matching teams with 2-6 records? Purdue's entertaining 48-42 win over Michigan Saturday was all about hope. It was the most points and offensive production (522 total yards) by the Boilermakers this season. It was the end of a miserable five-game losing streak and the baptism by fire of Justin Siller, apparently Purdue's quarterback of the future. The Boilers (like Michigan, 1-4 in the Big Ten) scored six touchdowns from inside the red zone (the opponent's 25-yard line). Coming into the game, Purdue had just nine red-zone TDs all season. Purdue's best offensive play, though, was its last after Michigan benefited from two crucial penalties on the Purdue defense to tie the game at 42 with 1:20 left in regulation. In four plays and 54 seconds, Purdue traveled 73 yards and scored the clincher. From the Michigan 32, Siller hit Greg Orton with a short pass. Orton then tossed the ball to Desmond Tardy in stride. He took it 28 yards for the TD. "That's coach (Joe) Tiller's favorite play, so we call it 'Tiller'," Tardy said. "The key for the play to work is to not rush it. I told (Orton), 'Don't pitch it, just toss it up. I'll get it.'" While the victory kept Purdue's slim chances for bowl eligibility alive, Michigan had its first losing season since 1967 sealed. Michigan's demise didn't happen without a fight. The Wolverines led by two touchdowns twice in the first half, 14-0 and 28-14. "We've got to keep fighting," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. "It's disappointing for our seniors, but they can still help build a program for the future." Purdue's future seems a lot brighter now than it did before Saturday's game. Seniors made some big plays. Running back Kory Sheets ran 30 times for 118 yards. He scored three rushing touchdowns and a passing TD. Orton caught eight passes for 89 yards and a score. Linebacker Anthony Heygood, a converted running back, took a fake punt 61 yards inside the Michigan 10 to set up a TD. However, it was Siller, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound redshirt freshman from Detroit, who stole the show. Curtis Painter's string of 40 consecutive starts, the longest such streak in the country, ended when a shoulder injury from last week's loss to Minnesota prevented him from playing. "I'm not sure I've ever been around a quarterback that, in his first start at the position, with just six practices, did that well," Tiller said. "He brings an attitude of athleticism to the position that we haven't had." Tiller stopped short of naming Siller next week's starter for the trip to Michigan State. But it's hard to overlook 21 of 34 passing (266 yards, three touchdowns) and 77 rushing yards (no sacks and a 10-yard TD run) on 15 carries. Siller was most effective when rolling out, though he did fumble once. "I felt a lot more prepared than last week (when he filled in for the injured Painter)," Siller said. "I got comfortable. Kory (Sheets) took a big load off. ... It feels good." Michigan's Brandon Minor rushed 24 times for 155 yards and three touchdowns. Martavious Odoms had a 73-yard punt return for a TD and a 45-yard kickoff return for key field position. Boubacar Cissoko had a kickoff return of 53 yards to set up a score. Penn High grad Frank Duong, back to starting at strong safety for Purdue after a knee injury, had three tackles and recovered a fumble on a punt on the Michigan 9, setting up a score. Also, LaPorte High grad Kris Staats is filling in for Painter as Purdue's holder on field goals and extra points.